Residential Framing: Tie Down Straps

This week we will be looking at IB032 Roof tie down straps, recently published by the Building Commission. The Building Commission has found that some of the tie down straps on market do not comply with BCA minimum requirements so have published this to hopefully alert all builders to the problem. Builders have been unaware of these nonconforming tie down straps and it is not really a surprise – some of them are stamped off with all the right markings and compliances but do not deliver. The Building Commission have said that some of the responsibility lies with the suppliers who are incorrectly labelling the samples they collected. They also advised that some of the responsibility lies with the builders – who should know the difference between a stainless steel strap and a non stainless steel strap.

AS 3700-2011 and AS 4773.1-2010 outline what straps are required for sites. Unfortunately this time the Building Commission have decided not to publish the tables which would tell you what strap to use where. Unfortuantly this is a problem with our current building codes and standards structure, where information is not easily available. People are speaking of making the BCA freely available to all, but if the Australian Standards are still produced and maintained by a private entity who will charge for each copy, making the BCA free may not be enough.

If you have doubts on the tie down straps you are using or think that you may have bought something that wasn’t up to code, please contact us. Our invaluable technical advice and inspections before, during and after construction will help to ensure that any building project you undertake complies with regulations, minimises the environmental impact and is as economically efficient as possible. This will comply with building regulations but we also think it’s the right thing to do too.

So get in touch with our Building Surveyor to discuss your project. With a free and competitive quote, you really can’t afford not to.

Due to constantly evolving legislation the information provided within this blog may no longer be valid. The advice given on this site is general in nature and does not take into account your specific circumstances. Please email one of our building surveyors to check what is right for you.